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The Print
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The Print
Teen star Avani takes sole lead at Hulencourt Women's Open
Playing in her first season on the LET, Avani, who as an amateur has top-10 finishes in Hero Women's Indian Open and Magical Kenyan Open in 2023, has had four top-20 finishes this season. The 18-year-old Avani, who is playing her first season as a pro, goes into the final round as a sole leader for the first time in her career. Hulencourt (Belgium), Jun 14 (PTI) Teen star Avani Prashanth, who was second for the first two days, added a third-round card of 3-under 69 to take sole lead at the Hulencourt Women's Open here. After rounds of 68-69-69 she is 10-under despite a closing bogey on the 18th and holds a one-shot lead over French golfer, Nastasia Nadaud (67), and Welsh pro, Darcey Harry (68), who are both at 9-under. The other two Indians making the cut were Diksha Dagar (72-73-70) at 1-under and T-32 and Tvesa Malik (76-70-71) at 1-over and T-42nd. Avani, who was second after the second round, opened her round on the moving day with five pars. She birdied the sixth and the ninth to turn in 2-under. On the back nine, she added birdies on the 14th and the 16th and got to 11-under at which point she held a two-shot lead over the field. She dropped her first shot on the closing hole and fell back too 9-under, but Nastasia, who made a big charge with a 67, was still one behind. Darcey Harry was tied second with Nastasia. On a cooler moving day, Avani picked four birdies with her only blemish coming on the 18th hole. 'The wind switched up today, so it was like a different golf course altogether', said Avani. 'I definitely had to play a little conservatively in some places, which I don't like to do, but obviously I was forced to. I just stayed patient the whole time,' she added. Avani produced a standout moment on the 14th, firing an impressive birdie putt from off the green. 'I misjudged that number a little bit, but I'm glad it turned out the way it did. The temperatures were down a little bit today which I guess made it slightly easier. Yesterday, everyone was complaining about the heat, but I think golf was a little easier for everyone today. 'I preferred it a bit more yesterday because of how far the ball was going, but I'm definitely happy that it wasn't as hot. I had to try really hard to focus all day yesterday, and by the 8th and 9th holes, I was so tired, so thankfully that didn't happen today,' she explained. The young golfer admitted that there could be some nerves going into the final round. 'There will obviously be some nerves, but I just try and forget about it. I love playing under pressure and I love chasing, but thankfully, I don't have to do that now, so I'm just going to put my best foot forward tomorrow and see how it goes,' she said. The second-round leader, Helen Briem shot even par 72 and slipped to fourth at 8-under, while Singaporean Shanon Tan (69) was tied fifth with first round leader, Australian Kelsey Bennett (71). The day's best card came from Cara Gainer of England, whose 66 carried her to tied-seventh with Smilia Tarning Soenderby of Denmark, Lauren Walsh of Ireland, and Ginnie Ding of Hong Kong. They were all at 6-under. In the second round, Avani produced a round of 3-under 69 to follow up on her opening round of 4-under par 68 to stay in second place and just one stroke behind the leader, Germany's Helen Briem (68-68). However, the other Indians Vani Kapoor (76-73), Sneha Singh (74-75), Amandeep Drall (74-76) and Hitaashee Bakshi (79-74) missed the cut. Avani has been encouraged by her recent form and consistency. 'I've been playing well, but wasn't quite getting the strong starts I wanted. This week, I've had that, and I'm happy to have built on it. 'Mentally, I'm in a confident place. I've been closing out tournaments well lately, which has helped put me in a really positive headspace,' she added. PTI Corr UNG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Khaleej Times
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Whats On this Week: Life-changing opportunities await ‘journeyman' players at the DP World Tour in Kenya
The DP World Tour resumes this week after a short break with the $2.5 million Magical Kenyan Open, held at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, Kenya. This is the ninth tournament of the 42-event Race to Dubai season, and with just three counting tournaments remaining in the International Series mini-Order of Merit, there's plenty to look forward to – including two upcoming events in South Africa that will complete the Series. Haotong Li (China), the recent winner of the Commercial Masters Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club, is one of the players in top form. Alongside him is 24-year-old Wilco Nienaber (RSA), who won last week's NTT Data Pro-Am on the newly rebranded HotelPlanner Tour (formerly the Challenge Tour) – a change that may still be a bit tricky for many to wrap their heads around. Nienaber shot impressive rounds of 60, 66, 66, and 70, finishing with a 27-under-par score of 262 to win by seven shots. Regarded as one of the most talented golfers worldwide, Nienaber is certainly a player to watch this week, throughout the year, and beyond. Dubai-based Guido Migliozzi (ITA) and Spain's Adrian Otaegui, playing under the UAE flag, are also among the standouts, as well as Eugenio Chacarra (Spain), formerly with LIV Golf, who has received an invitation to play. Another exciting newcomer to keep an eye on is Wenyl Ding (China), who turned pro after the 2024 Asian Amateur Championship in Japan. Ding has made a strong start to his professional career and could make waves at this event. With 19 Kenyan players in the field, including 13 who've earned National Spots through Category 8 of the DP World Tour's Conditions of Entry, this tournament is particularly special for the host country. This week offers 'journeyman' players a chance to shine and potentially secure their first victory. For many, this tournament could be the springboard to a life-changing opportunity. As the DP World Tour's mantra reminds us, 'It's all about playing opportunities.' All five recent winners of this event are also in the field, marking its return to the DP World Tour schedule: 2019: Guido Migliozzi (ITA) 2021: Justin Harding (RSA) 2022: Ashun Wu (CHN) 2023: Jorge Campillo (SPA) 2024: Darius Van Driel (NLD) Upcoming Events: PGA Tour Thursday, February 20 – Sunday, February 23, 2025 Mexico Open at VidantaWorld Venue: Vidanta, Vallarta, Mexico Purse: $7 million DP World Tour Thursday, February 20 – Sunday, February 23, 2025 Magical Kenyan Open Venue: Muthaiga GC, Nairobi, Kenya Purse: $2.5 million LPGA Thursday, February 20 – Sunday, February 23, 2025 HONDA LPGA Thailand Venue: Siam Country
